Demographic profile of Mexican-born living in the United States

Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, The University of Arizona
JUDITH GANS
Demographic Profile
Of
Mexican-Born
Living in the United Stat es
Immigration Policy Reports
August 2009
1
Notes and Acknowledgement
Unless otherwise noted, data for this report is from the United States Census Bureau’s
American Community Survey (ACS) 2005 to 2007 average database. The three‐year average
database was used for reasons of its larger sample size and greater accuracy. The source of
these data is the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS).1
The author wishes to thank Jason Jurjevich for his tireless and thorough data‐gathering
efforts and for his promptness and patience in responding to on‐going data requests as this
analytic effort evolved.
1 Steven Ruggles, Matthew Sobek, Trent Alexander, Catherine A. Fitch, Ronald Goeken,
Patricia Kelly Hall, Miriam King, and Chad Ronnander, Integrated Public Use Microdata
Series: Version 4.0 (Machine‐readabl database_, Minneapolis, MN: Pinnesota Population
Center [producer and distributor], 2009. Available at: http://usa.ipums.org/usa/
2
Table of Contents
Section Page
Executive Summary
3
Migration Pattern
4
Decade of Arrival 4
U.S. Citizenship Acquisition 4
Region of Residence 5
Age Profile and Share of Total Population
6
Educational Attainment
9
Share of Educational Attainment Cohort 11
Mexican‐born in the Workforce
12
Participation Rates 12
Regional Distribution of Workforce 14
Occupational Distribution 16
Share of Occupational Workforce 17
Incomes
20
Household Income 20
Personal Income 21
Concluding Observations
24
Appendix A
25
3
Executive Summary
As of the middle of the current decade, approximately eleven percent of Mexican‐born were
living in the United States. This migration derives from the two countries historical ties, the
long land border that they share, and the Bracero temporary worker program in effect from
the late 1940s until the late 1960s. What follows is a profile of the characteristics of this
population including its age, educational attainment, U.S. region of residence, workforce
participation, and income levels. The report’s findings include the following information
about Mexican‐born living in the United States.
• The majority of this population arrived in the United States after 1980;
• They acquire U.S. citizenship at much lower rates than do other foreign‐born;
• The majority of this population lives in the southwestern and western regions of the
United States;
• They are, on average, somewhat younger than other immigrants and significantly
younger than the native U.S. born population;
• Their educational attainment levels are somewhat lower than those of other
immigrants and substantially lower than those of native U.S. born citizens;
• Total workforce participation rates are higher than for other foreign‐born but this is
due to higher participation rates among the youngest Mexican‐born workers.
Participation rates for the older workforce age cohorts are slightly lower than for
other foreign‐born;
• Mexican‐born workers are concentrated in few occupational sectors, namely
construction, production, building and grounds service and maintenance, and food
preparation and serving. They are a key source of workers for agriculture. Other
foreign‐born and native‐born workers are more diffused throughout the economy;
• Income levels are lower for Mexican‐born workers than for other foreign‐born or for
native U.S. born citizens. This results from their lower education levels and from the
specific areas of employment.
Mexican‐born in the United States are key sources of workers in fairly narrow segments of
the workforce and for specific industries. They provide a large share of young, low‐skilled
workers for industries such as agriculture, construction, production, building and grounds
service and maintenance, and food preparation, and appear to be filling gaps in the labor‐force
not being filled either by other foreign‐born or native U.S. born workers. The
following sections of this report elaborate these findings more fully.
4
Migration Patterns
The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that, between 2005
and 2007, the average number of people born in Mexico and living in the United States was
about 11,437,000 people. According to the World Bank, the average population of Mexico
during that same period was about 104,200,000 people.2. Thus roughly one in nine, or
eleven percent, of Mexican‐born people was living in the United States during that period.
This report will provide a demographic profile of this population and describe their
participation in the economy of the United States.
Decade of Arrival
Mexican migration to the United States has occurred throughout the two countries’ histories
but it has increased during the last half of the 20th Century. The origins of today’s migratory
patterns and levels date back to the Bracero Program, instituted by the United States in
response to labor shortages during World War II. This program fostered a phenomenon of
circular migration characterized by Mexicans traveling to “el Norte” in search of seasonal
work and periodically returning to Mexico. Some people did not return to Mexico,
contributing to the growth of the Mexican‐born population living in the United States.
Circularity has been inhibited by increased enforcement by the U.S. at the U.S.‐Mexico
border against illegal immigration. This reduced circularity has combined with other large
global demographic and economic forces to significantly increase the size of the Mexican‐born
population in the United States during the past 20 to 30 years. Table 1 looks at when
U.S. based Mexican‐born arrived by decade of arrival and illustrates the relatively recent
nature of much of this migration.
Table 1
Decade of Arrival
Mexican­born
Living in the U.S.
Number Share of Total
Since 2000 3,224,496 28%
1990s 3,838,026 34%
1980s 2,383,369 21%
1970 and Before 1,990,884 17%
11,436,775 100%
United States Citizenship Acquisition
Table 2 shows that twenty two percent of the 11,437,775 Mexican‐born in the United States
have become naturalized U.S. citizens and seventy eight percent are not U.S. citizens. Fifty
one percent of other foreign born have become U.S. citizens
2 Available at:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20535285~menuPK:1192694~pageP
K:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html
Sixty two percent of Mexicans
living in the U.S. arrived after
1990. Only seventeen percent
arrived prior to 1970. Some
circular migration persists, but
the number of Mexicans in the
U.S. has grown significantly.
5
The reasons for these differences in U.S. citizenship between Mexican‐born and other
foreign‐born are complex. They include Mexican‐born patterns of circular migration, the
fact that many Mexican‐born are recently arrived in the U.S., and the reality that a significant
portion of Mexican‐born in the U.S. are undocumented and therefore excluded from
traditional paths to U.S. citizenship.
Table 2
Number and Share of Foreign Born With U.S. Citizenship
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born
Total Foreign Born
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Naturalized Citizens 2,485,264 22% 13,133,336 51% 15,618,600 42%
Non Citizens 8,951,511 78% 12,655,522 49% 21,607,033 58%
Total 11,436,775 100% 25,788,858 100% 37,225,633 100%
Regions of Residence
Mexicans living in the United States are not evenly distributed throughout the country.
Rather, they are clustered within particular geographic regions. The reasons for this are a
combination of social networks rooted in historical migration and patterns of economic
activity in the United States.
Figure 1 depicts the number of Mexican‐born living in the nine U.S. Census Regions. The
percent of the Mexican‐born population in each of these regions is shown in parentheses.
See Appendix A for a list of the States within each region.
Figure 1
39,762 (0.4%)
378,013 (3%)
1,014,050 (9%)
263,316 (2%)
987,696 (9%)
160,228 (1%)
2,491,949 (22%)
1,365,592 (12%)
4,736,169 (41%)
New England
Mid Atlantic
E North Central
W North Central
South Atlantic
E South Central
W South Central
Mountain
Pacilic
Figure 1: Number and percent of Mexican‐born living in the nine U.S. Census Regions.
6
Seventy five percent of Mexican‐born live in the regions that encompass the American
southwest and west. Forty one percent live in the Pacific region, which includes the state of
California. The second‐largest group at twenty two percent is in the West South Central
region, which includes the state of Texas. The smallest share lives in New England.
Age Profile and Share of Total Population
Table 3 shows the number and percentage by five‐year age group of Mexican‐born and
other foreign born living in the U.S., and native U.S. born. We see that Mexican‐born are
four percent of the total population, other foreign‐born are nine percent, and native U.S.
born are eighty eight percent of the total population. Both Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican
foreign‐born are disproportionately of working age. The age‐profile of both categories of
foreign‐born differs dramatically from that of the native U.S.‐born population and reflects
the reality that the motivation to migrate in a global economy is employment.
Table 3
Population by Age Cohort and Nativity
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native US Born
Age Number
% Of
Mexican
Born Number
% Of Non
Mexican
Foreign Born Number
% Of
Native
Born
0‐4 103,182 1% 203,956 1% 20,178,158 8%
5‐9 294,453 3% 446,511 2% 18,952,072 7%
10‐14 434,335 4% 658,050 3% 19,498,810 7%
15‐19 653,310 6% 1,014,101 4% 19,801,852 8%
20‐24 1,148,318 10% 1,552,477 6% 18,127,612 7%
25‐29 1,565,406 14% 2,105,836 8% 16,616,373 6%
30‐34 1,654,748 14% 2,613,074 10% 15,271,393 6%
35‐39 1,512,132 13% 2,775,816 11% 16,889,052 6%
40‐44 1,210,908 11% 2,751,825 11% 18,574,796 7%
45‐49 887,821 8% 2,489,764 10% 19,314,291 7%
50‐54 643,918 6% 2,129,647 8% 17,725,777 7%
55‐59 450,521 4% 1,793,384 7% 15,567,031 6%
60‐64 304,766 3% 1,387,041 5% 12,058,575 5%
65‐69 210,009 2% 1,117,866 4% 9,058,859 3%
70‐74 147,124 1% 911,129 4% 7,480,012 3%
75‐79 102,510 1% 716,828 3% 6,667,967 3%
80+ 113,314 1% 958,975 4% 9,749,047 4%
Total 11,436,775 100% 25,626,280 100% 261,531,677 100%
Share Of Total Population 4% 9% 88%
7
Figure 2 provides a graphic depiction of the age‐group profile of Mexicans in the United
States and underscores the extent to which they are of working age.
Figure 2
Because much of the motivation to migrate, it is not surprising that most Mexican‐born
living in the U.S. are of working age. But, as we shall see later in this report, the contrast
between the age and education profiles of Mexican immigrants and those of native US born
citizens underscore the complexities of the demographic and economic forces driving
migration from Mexico to the United States which significantly shape who migrates from
Mexico to the United States. Figure 3 illustrates differences in the age profile of Mexican‐born
from that of other foreign‐born.
Figure 3
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
0‐4
5‐9
10‐1
154‐ 1
20‐2
25‐2
309‐ 3
354‐ 3
40‐4
45‐4
50‐5
55‐5
609‐ 6
65‐6
70‐7
754‐ 7
80+
Thousands
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Mexican Born Other Foreign Born
Figure 3: Five‐year age cohorts’ share of Mexican‐born in
the U.S. compared to other foreign born in the U.S.
Figure 2: Number of Mexican‐born in the United States by
five‐year age group. (Data in thousands.)
Mexican‐born living in the U.S.
are concentrated in young adult
age groups. Sixty two percent of
all Mexican‐born living in the
United States are between 20
and 45 years of age.
Relatively few Mexicans in the
U.S. are under the age of fifteen
or over the age of fifty.
There are relatively more
Mexican‐born under age 40
than other foreign born and
fewer Mexican‐born over age
45 than other foreign born.
While most other foreign born
are also of working age, the
population of other foreign
born is older, on average, than
Mexican‐born in the U.S.
Figure 4, below, shows the age
distribution of Mexican‐born
compared to that of U.S. born
citizens.
8
Figure 4
Table 4 shows the share of each age group that is Mexican‐born, the share that is foreign
born from other countries, and the share that is native U.S. born.
Table 4
Age Group Share of Total Population
Age Group Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native US Born Total
0‐4 1% 1% 98% 100%
5‐9 1% 2% 96% 100%
10‐14 2% 3% 95% 100%
15‐19 3% 5% 92% 100%
20‐24 6% 8% 87% 100%
25‐29 8% 10% 82% 100%
30‐34 8% 13% 78% 100%
35‐39 7% 13% 80% 100%
40‐44 5% 12% 82% 100%
45‐49 4% 11% 85% 100%
50‐54 3% 10% 86% 100%
55‐59 3% 10% 87% 100%
60‐64 2% 10% 88% 100%
65‐69 2% 11% 87% 100%
70‐74 2% 11% 88% 100%
75‐79 1% 10% 89% 100%
80+ 1% 9% 90% 100%
Total 4% 9% 88% 100%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Mexican‐Born Native US Born
Figure 4: Five‐year age cohorts’ share of Mexican‐born in
the U.S. compared to native U.S. born citizens.
The age profile of Mexicans in
the U.S. differs significantly
from native U.S. born citizens.
Mexican‐born are largely of
working age while native U.S.
born are more evenly
distributed across all age
groups.
The largest concentrations of
U.S.‐based Mexican born and
other foreign born are in age
groups with the lowest share of
native U.S. born. This reflects a
demographic reality driving
migration to the US: the native‐born
population has relatively
fewer working‐age people.
9
As we see in Table 4, the age group with the largest share of Mexican‐born is young adults
between the ages of 25 and 34. Mexican‐born in the U.S. are eight percent of this age group.
Not surprisingly, this is also the age group with the smallest share of native U.S. born people.
The next largest share of Mexican‐born is people between the ages of 35 and 39 at seven
percent. This is also the second‐smallest share age group of Native U.S. born people.
Figure 5
Thus we see that Mexican‐born and other immigrants in the United States are adding
numbers of people in age groups where there are relatively fewer native U.S. born people.
Immigrants are also contributing significantly to the growth of the U.S. population.
Educational Attainment
Education is generally used as a proxy for occupational skill, and an adult’s educational
attainment significantly shapes his or her options for employment and role in the work
force. Further, analysis of the education profile of sub‐groups or of a whole population
provides insights to the productive capacities of those groups or of the entire labor force.
Growth of sectors such as bioscience that employ highly skilled workers requires the
availability of workers with appropriate scientific education. Growth in sectors such as
construction or leisure and hospitality that employ large numbers of low skilled workers
requires an available workforce with minimal education.
Analysis of the educational attainment of Mexican‐born in the United States sheds light on
their role in the U.S. economy. Such analysis also sheds light on differences in earning
potential for a given level of education in each of the two countries because decisions to
migrate are significantly shaped by the employment and earnings options that accrue to a
given level of education in immigrant‐sending and immigrant‐receiving countries.
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Native US Born Other Foreign Born Mexican Born
These complementary age‐group
patterns are visible in
Figure 5 and indicate the
extent to which immigration is
smoothing the age‐group
distribution of the population
in the United States.
Note that of 78,431,000 native
born children under 20 about
14,669,000 or almost nineteen
percent had at least one
foreign‐born parent.
10
Figure 6 depicts the educational attainment for Mexican‐born adults age 25 and older living
in the United States. Most Mexican born in the U.S. have had limited education. Forty two
percent have eight or few years of schooling. Another forty three percent have attended or
graduated from high school. The remaining fifteen percent have education beyond high
school, but fewer than two percent have education beyond college.
Figure 6
The educational attainment profile of U.S. based Mexican born differs in important ways
from that of other foreign born and of native U.S. born citizens. Table 5, below, details the
educational attainment data for these three nativity groups. The educational attainment
share of each group is also shown, and significant differences in educational attainment
profile are evident.
The proportion of native U.S. born citizens and other foreign born immigrants with eight or
fewer years of schooling is significantly smaller than that of Mexican‐born in the U.S. The
proportion of native‐born citizens and other foreign‐born immigrants with more than a high
school education is significantly greater than that of Mexican‐born in the U.S. Other foreign
born have thirty percent more people with professional or masters degrees and three times
as many people with doctorate degrees than do native born people. Thus, as measured by
educational attainment, we see that Mexican‐born in the U.S. are generally lower skilled
than native U.S. born citizens or other immigrants. We also see that other foreign‐born are
an important source of higher‐skilled workers in the U.S. economy.
3,655,514 (42%)
1,679,840 (19%)
2,133,043 (24%)
893,726 (10%)
316,727 (4%)
113,451 (1%)
10,876 (0.12%)
0‐8
Some HS
HS Grad
Some College/Associates
College Grad
Prof/Masters
Doctorate
Figure 6: Educational attainment of Mexican‐born in the United States, age 25 and older.
11
Table 5
Educational Attainment by Nativity
(People Age 25 and Older)
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native U.S. Born
Schooling Number
Share
of Total Number
Share of
Total Number
Share of
Total
0‐8 Years 3,655,514 42% 2,632,307 12% 6,386,174 4%
Some High School 1,679,840 19% 1,918,819 9% 14,924,210 9%
High School Grad 2,133,043 24% 5,111,801 23% 51,542,409 31%
Some College or
Associates
Degree 893,726 10% 4,468,303 20% 47,400,897 29%
College Graduate 316,727 4% 4,520,131 21% 28,628,763 17%
Professional or
Masters Degree 113,451 1% 2,655,390 12% 14,499,184 9%
Doctorate 10,876 0.12% 548,825 3% 1,591,536 0.96%
Total 8,803,177 100% 21,855,576 100% 164,973,173 100%
Share of Educational Cohort
Further insights to the role of Mexicans, other foreign born, and native U.S. born in the
workforce can be gained by examine the share that each nativity group contributes to a
given educational cohort. The following graph illustrates this data.
Figure 7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
0‐8 Years
Some High School
High School Grad
Some College or
Associates Degree
College Grad
Prof or Masters
Degree
Doctorate
Native Born Other Foreign Born Mexican Born
US based Mexican‐born
are 4% of the
overall population
but are 29% of those
with eight or fewer
years of school while
native US born are
50% of this group.
At the other end of
the spectrum, US
born are 74% of
those with doctorate
degrees and Mexican
born are 1% of this
education group.
These data are
provided in Table 6
below.
Figure 7: Population shares of educational attainment categories.
12
Table 6
Share of Educational Cohort by Nativity
(People Age 25 and Older)
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign
Born
Native
Born Total
0‐8 Years 29% 21% 50% 100%
Some High School 9% 10% 81% 100%
High School Grad 4% 9% 88% 100%
Some College or Associates Degree 2% 8% 90% 100%
College Grad 1% 14% 86% 100%
Professional or Masters Degree 1% 15% 84% 100%
Doctorate 1% 26% 74% 100%
Examining the educational attainment profile of Mexican born in the U.S. sheds light on the
type of person from Mexico that decides to migrate to the U.S. and provides insight to the
differences in employment opportunity between the two countries. In a real sense, this
profile is the sum of a set of individual decisions to migrate. Table 5 shows that sixty one
percent of Mexicans in the U.S. have less than a high school education and indicates that
employment opportunities for low skilled workers are better in the U.S. than in Mexico.
Examining the Mexican‐born share of each educational attainment cohort provides a
different kind of insight. This analysis sheds light on the role of Mexican‐born in the U.S.
economy. Table 6 shows that Mexican‐born are only four percent of the total population yet
provide thirty eight percent of those with less than a high school. This indicates that
Mexican‐born are an important source of low‐skilled workers in the U.S. economy. The
following section examines the role of Mexican‐born in the U.S. workforce.
Mexican­born
in the U.S. Workforce
Participation Rates
Approximately 7,330,000 Mexican‐born in the age 16 and older participate in the U.S. labor
force. The total population in this age group is 10,504,000, which translates to a labor‐force
participation rate of seventy percent. By contrast, the total native U.S. born population age
16 and older is 199,000,000, with a labor‐force participation rate of sixty four percent or
127,861,000 people. Non‐Mexican foreign‐born age 16 and older have a workforce
participation rate of sixty five percent, or 15,860,000 workers out of a total population of
24,285,000 people. Table 7 depicts the workforce participation rates by age of Mexican‐born
and other foreign‐born in the United States age 16 and older. These participation rates
are shown graphically in Figure 8.
13
Table 7
Workforce Participation
(People Age 16 and Older)
Mexican­Born
in the U.S. Non­Mexican
Foreign Born
Age
Total
Population
In
Workforce
Participation
Rate
Total
Population
In
workforce
Participation
Rate
16‐19 552,731 259,343 47% 862,907 311,142 36%
20‐24 1,148,318 859,587 75% 1,566,719 1,051,175 67%
25‐29 1,565,406 1,178,277 75% 2,118,102 1,618,167 76%
30‐34 1,654,748 1,250,873 76% 2,629,863 2,071,899 79%
35‐39 1,512,132 1,158,760 77% 2,789,869 2,232,107 80%
40‐44 1,210,908 950,280 78% 2,766,212 2,260,074 82%
45‐49 887,821 686,259 77% 2,503,316 2,044,285 82%
50‐54 643,918 473,114 73% 2,138,919 1,691,660 79%
55‐59 450,521 289,337 64% 1,801,350 1,278,495 71%
60‐64 304,766 142,128 47% 1,392,461 766,350 55%
65‐69 210,009 53,795 26% 1,122,478 325,805 29%
70‐74 147,124 18,287 12% 913,586 133,702 15%
75‐79 102,510 6,360 6% 718,013 49,640 7%
80+ 113,314 3,230 3% 961,407 25,311 3%
Total 10,504,226 7,329,630 70% 24,285,202 15,859,812 65%
Figure 8
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
16‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Total
Mexican‐Born Other Foreign Born
Figure 9: Workforce participation rates for Mexican‐born
and other foreign‐born.
Each group’s total labor force
participation rate is influenced by the
age‐profile of each workforce. While
the participation rates for Mexican‐born
are lower in many age groups
than the rate for other foreign born,
the overall participation rate for ‘Total
Mexican‐born” is higher than the rate
for ‘Total Other Foreign Born’. This is
because the rates are higher for
Mexican‐born in the youngest age
categories and the Mexican‐born
population is, on average, younger
than the other foreign born
population.
14
Regional Distribution
Not surprisingly, the regional distribution of the Mexican born in the workforce mirrors that
of the total Mexican‐born population in the United States. Table 8 shows the U.S.‐based
Mexican‐born workforce age 16 and older by region.
Table 8
Region
Mexican­born
Population
Regional
Share
New England 28,040 0.38%
Middle Atlantic 267,007 4%
East North Central 677,183 9%
West North Central 176,205 2%
South Atlantic 684,490 9%
East South Central 106,922 1%
West South Central 1,507,204 21%
Mountain 852,669 12%
Pacific 3,029,910 41%
Total Workforce 7,329,630 100%
The fact that the regional distribution of
the Mexican‐born workforce mirrors
that of the whole population means that
workforce participation rates do not
differ significantly across regions.
While Table 8 looks at the distribution
of the Mexican‐born workforce, Table 9,
below, examines the distribution of
each region’s workforce by nativity.
Table 9 shows that there is notable variation in the foreign‐born share of the workforce in
each of the nine U.S. census regions, with some regions relying more heavily on foreign‐born
workers than others. While Mexican‐born are five percent of the workforce nationally, they
are less than one percent of the work force in New England and thirteen percent of the
workforce in the Pacific Region. The Pacific region also has the largest total share of
foreign‐born workers at twenty nine percent and the highest share of Mexican‐born
workers of any region. The next highest regional share of Mexican‐born workers is in the
West South Central region at nine percent of the region’s workforce. The Mid Atlantic
region has the highest share of non­Mexican
foreign born at nineteen percent however
Mexican‐born are only one percent of the Mid Atlantic workforce.
Table 9
Regional Workforce Size and Share by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB
Native U.S. Born
Citizens Total Workforce
Region Number % Number % Number % Number %
New England 28,040
0.
4 1,007,688 13 6,628,708 86 7,664,436 100
Middle Atlantic 267,007 1 3,783,388 19 16,269,723 80 20,320,118 100
E. North Central 677,183 3 1,335,403 6 21,714,432 92 23,727,018 100
W. North Central 176,205 2 417,420 4 10,093,997 94 10,687,622 100
S. Atlantic 684,490 2 3,508,248 12 24,562,794 85 28,755,532 100
E. South Central 106,922 1 228,381 3 8,194,261 96 8,529,564 100
W. South Central 1,507,204 9 1,032,355 6 14,077,044 85 16,616,603 100
Mountain 852,669 8 613,162 6 9,105,069 86 10,570,900 100
Pacific 3,029,910 13 3,933,767 16 17,214,723 71 24,178,400 100
National Totals 7,329,630 5 15,859,812 10 127,860,751 85 151,050,193 100
15
The reasons for these regional variations in the foreign‐born share of the workforce, in part,
reflect differing in the kinds of economic activity in each region. Because immigrants are
fifty percent of those with 0 to 8 years of schooling, they are an important source of low‐skilled
workers to sectors such as leisure and hospitality, construction, and agriculture.
Consequently, immigrants are an important share of the workforce in those regions with
large construction, agriculture, and leisure and hospitality sectors. Table 10 shows the
number of workers, by age group, in each of the nine Census regions.
Table 10
Number of Mexican­born
Workers by Region and Age Group
Age Group New England
Middle
Atlantic
East North
Central
West North
Central
South
Atlantic
16‐19 429 10,941 22,406 6,435 28,675
20‐24 4,316 46,023 75,972 22,499 107,873
25‐29 5,280 57,332 113,947 32,140 147,052
30‐34 6,416 51,816 122,360 31,203 135,173
35‐39 4,486 41,430 104,149 29,738 102,568
40‐44 3,168 26,814 86,286 22,363 72,055
45‐49 1,793 14,711 63,521 13,509 40,652
50‐54 810 9,676 42,612 7,993 27,072
55‐59 816 4,734 26,997 5,149 13,571
60‐64 408 2,186 12,270 3,125 5,964
65‐69 24 902 4,117 1,276 2,166
70‐74 94 317 1,566 533 1,262
75‐79 na* na* 469 216 315
80+ na* 125 511 26 92
Total Number 28,040 267,007 677,183 176,205 684,490
Percent of Total 0.38% 3.6% 9.2% 2.4% 9.3%
Table 10 (Cont.)
Age Cohort
E South
Central
W South
Central Mountain Pacific
National
Total
15‐19 7,427 54,161 31,634 97,235 259,343
20‐24 16,787 159,340 98,946 327,831 859,587
25‐29 21,908 229,425 144,538 426,655 1,178,277
30‐34 22,911 243,932 151,187 485,875 1,250,873
35‐39 15,005 224,695 135,799 500,890 1,158,760
40‐44 10,003 203,565 109,862 416,164 950,280
45‐49 6,015 153,619 74,362 318,077 686,259
50‐54 3,243 109,137 50,630 221,941 473,114
55‐59 2,094 69,967 32,251 133,758 289,337
60‐64 1,208 37,321 15,056 64,590 142,128
65‐69 67 14,416 6,081 24,746 53,795
70‐74 74 4,830 1,836 7,775 18,287
75‐79 180 2,063 335 2,782 6,360
80+ ‐ 733 152 1,591 3,230
Total Number 106,922 1,507,204 852,669 3,029,910 7,329,630
Percent of Total 1.5% 20.6% 11.6% 41.3% 100%
*na indicates that the number of people in this region’s age group is small and that the American
Community Survey sample did not include anyone in this cohort.
16
Occupation Distribution
The occupational distribution of the workforce by nativity provides insight to the segments
of the labor force that are occupied by Mexican‐born, other foreign‐born, and U.S. born
workers. This segmentation occurs for reasons that include differences in age, educational
attainment, work experience, and other factors affecting labor market competition.
Table 11 shows the share of each sector’s workforce in each nativity group. The sectors are
ranked in descending order by the number and share of Mexican‐born workers employed.
Table 11
Occupational Distribution Size and Share by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB NB Citizens Total Workforce
Occupation Number % Number % Number % Number %
Construction 1,466,377 20 935,851 6 7,159,650 6 9,561,878 6
Production 1,058,257 14 1,215,861 8 7,942,817 6 10,216,935 7
Building & Grounds
Cleaning & Maintenance 946,162 13 923,804 6 4,013,140 3 5,883,106 4
Food Preparation &
Serving 776,049 11 948,238 6 6,542,869 5 8,267,156 5
Transportation & Material
Moving 685,686 9 898,923 6 7,861,813 6 9,446,422 6
Office & Admin Support 434,764 6 1,698,118 11 19,303,836 15 21,436,718 14
Farming, Fishing Forestry 422,500 6 53,274 0.34 630,574 0.49 1,106,348 1
Sales 401,493 5 1,663,450 10 15,148,812 12 17,213,755 11
Installation, Maint, Repair 254,729 3 421,170 3 4,567,454 4 5,243,353 3
Management Operations 197,537 3 1,331,397 8 12,112,943 9 13,641,877 9
Personal Care & Service 173,128 2 705,589 4 3,969,610 3 4,848,327 3
Education, Training,
Library 87,370 1 697,282 4 7,429,068 6 8,213,720 5
Military 83,163 1 179,223 1 1,625,275 1 1,887,661 1
Healthcare Support 72,623 1 478,438 3 2,673,302 2 3,224,363 2
Healthcare Practitioners &
Technical 40,896 1 937,803 6 6,140,756 5 7,119,455 5
Arts, Design, Entertain.,
Sports, &Media 39,145 1 280,918 2 2,491,751 2 2,811,814 2
Protective Service 32,144 0.44 182,656 1 2,889,968 2 3,104,768 2
Business Ops Specialists 30,506 0.42 246,401 2 2,609,070 2 2,885,977 2
Community & Social Svc 28,055 0.38 180,274 1 2,086,739 2 2,295,068 2
Architecture & Engineering
Occupations 27,584 0.38 434,860 3 2,312,347 2 2,774,791 2
Financial Specialists 26,839 0.37 415,392 3 2,928,936 2 3,371,167 2
Computer & Math
Occupations 17,585 0.24 693,375 4 2,640,840 2 3,351,800 2
Life, Physical, & Social
Science 9,805 0.13 238,309 2 1,081,017 1 1,329,131 1
Legal Occupations 8,681 0.12 96,221 1 1,527,026 1 1,631,928 1
Extraction 8,552 0.12 2,985 0.02 171,138 0.13 182,675 0.12
Total 7,329,630 100 15,859,812 100 127,860,751 100 151,050,193 100
Twenty percent of Mexican‐born workers in the U.S. work in the construction industry.
Another fourteen percent work in production (manufacturing), and thirteen percent work
17
in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance. The largest employment sector for both
‘Other Foreign Born’ and ‘Native U.S. Born’ workers is ‘Office and Administrative Support’ at
eleven and fifteen percent respectively. The smallest percentage of Mexican‐born work in
legal occupations and extraction (mining) with less than one percent employed in either of
these sectors.
Mexican‐born are more concentrated in specific sectors of the economy than are other
workers. Fifty one percent of the Mexican‐born workforce employed in just four sectors
while both ‘Other Foreign Born’ and ‘Native U.S. Born Citizens’ are more widely diffused
throughout the economy.
Table 12
Occupational Sector’s Employment Rank
Occupation Mexican­born
Other
Foreign
Born
Native
US
Born
Construction 1 7 7
Production 2 4 4
Building and Grounds
Cleaning and Maintenance
3 8 11
Food Preparation and
Serving
4 5 8
Transportation and
Material Moving
5 9 5
Office and Administrative
Support
6 1 1
Farming, Fishing, and
Forestry
7 24 24
Sales 8 2 2
Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair
9 15 10
Management Operations 10 3 3
Cumulative Share of Top
Five Sectors
67% 43% 49%
Cumulative Share of Top
Ten Sectors
91% 71% 74%
Share of Occupational Workforce
Table 13 examines the share of each occupation’s workforce that is Mexican‐born, the share
that comes from countries other than Mexico, and the share that was born in the U.S. This
data provides a picture of how important each category of worker is to a given occupational
sector. (The above‐discussed Table 11, on the other hand, provides a picture of how
important a given sector of the economy is to each group of workers.)
Table 12 ranks sectors by the
number and share of Mexican–
born employed in that sector.
The construction sector ranks
first in employment of
Mexican‐born workers. Table
12 also shows the sectors’
employment ranking for other
foreign born and native U.S.
born workers.
Table 12 also indicates that
sixty seven percent of Mexican‐born
workers in the U.S. are
employed in just five sectors.
The top ten sectors account for
ninety one percent of Mexican‐born
employment.
We see that other foreign born
and native‐born are more
diffuse throughout the
economy.
18
Thirty eight percent of the workforce in ‘Farming, Fishing and Forestry’ is Mexican‐born.
Five percent of the workforce in this sector is non‐Mexican foreign born and only fifty seven
percent is native U.S. born. The next largest Mexican‐born share of the workforce at sixteen
percent is in ‘Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance’. The rows for sectors that
disproportionately rely on Mexican‐born workers are highlighted.
Table 13
Share of Occupational Workforce by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB NB Citizens Total Workforce
Occupation Number % Number % Number % Number %
Construction 1,466,377 15 935,851 10 7,159,650 75 9,561,878 100
Production 1,058,257 10 1,215,861 12 7,942,817 78 10,216,935 100
Building and Grounds
Cleaning and Maintenance 946,162 16 923,804 16 4,013,140 68 5,883,106 100
Food Preparation and
Serving 776,049 9 948,238 11 6,542,869 79 8,267,156 100
Transportation and
Material Moving 685,686 7 898,923 10 7,861,813 83 9,446,422 100
Office and Administrative
Support 434,764 2 1,698,118 8 19,303,836 90 21,436,718 100
Farming, Fishing, and
Forestry 422,500 38 53,274 5 630,574 57 1,106,348 100
Sales 401,493 2 1,663,450 10 15,148,812 88 17,213,755 100
Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair 254,729 5 421,170 8 4,567,454 87 5,243,353 100
Management Operations 197,537 1 1,331,397 10 12,112,943 89 13,641,877 100
Personal Care and Service 173,128 4 705,589 15 3,969,610 82 4,848,327 100
Education, Training, and
Library 87,370 1 697,282 8 7,429,068 90 8,213,720 100
Military 83,163 4 179,223 9 1,625,275 86 1,887,661 100
Healthcare Support 72,623 2 478,438 15 2,673,302 83 3,224,363 100
Healthcare Practitioners
and Technical 40,896 1 937,803 13 6,140,756 86 7,119,455 100
Arts, Design,
Entertainment, Sports, and
Media 39,145 1 280,918 10 2,491,751 89 2,811,814 100
Protective Service 32,144 1 182,656 6 2,889,968 93 3,104,768 100
Business Operations
Specialists 30,506 1 246,401 9 2,609,070 90 2,885,977 100
Community and Social
Services 28,055 1 180,274 8 2,086,739 91 2,295,068 100
Architecture and
Engineering Occupations 27,584 1 434,860 16 2,312,347 83 2,774,791 100
Financial Specialists 26,839 1 415,392 12 2,928,936 87 3,371,167 100
Computer and
Mathematical Occupations 17,585 1 693,375 21 2,640,840 79 3,351,800 100
Life, Physical, and Social
Science 9,805 1 238,309 18 1,081,017 81 1,329,131 100
Legal Occupations 8,681 1 96,221 6 1,527,026 94 1,631,928 100
Extraction 8,552 5 2,985 2 171,138 94 182,675 100
Total 7,329,630 5 15,859,812 10 127,860,751 85 151,050,193 100
19
Figures 9 and 10 provide a graphic depiction of the share of the workforce that is Mexican‐born
in each of the twenty‐five occupational sectors examined. Sectors are ranked by their
share‐of‐workforce that is Mexican‐born. The corresponding share of the workforce that is
Non‐Mexican foreign born is also shown for each sector.
Figure 9
Figure 10
8%
15%
10%
15%
9%
2%
8%
10%
11%
12%
10%
16%
5%
2%
2%
2%
4%
4%
5%
5%
7%
9%
10%
15%
16%
38%
Oflice and Administrative Support
Healthcare Support
Sales
Personal Care and Service
Military
Extraction
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Transportation and Material Moving
Food Preparation and Serving
Production
Construction
Building and Grounds Cleaning and
Maintenance
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Mexican Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born
21%
6%
13%
18%
12%
16%
6%
9%
8%
8%
10%
10%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Computer and Mathematical
Occupations
Legal Occupations
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Financial Specialists
Architecture and Engineering
Occupations
Protective Service
Business Operations Specialists
Education, Training, and Library
Community and Social Services
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and
Media
Management Operations
Mexican‐Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born
Figure 9: Mexican‐born and Non‐Mexican foreign born share‐of‐workforce in top 13
occupations employing Mexican‐born
Figure 10: Mexican‐born and Non‐Mexican foreign‐born share‐of‐workforce in bottom
12 occupations employing Mexican‐born.
20
Incomes
Household Income
U.S.‐based Mexican households have average incomes that are, on average, sixty five percent
of those of native‐born households. This contrasts with household incomes of non‐Mexican
foreign born which are, on average, one hundred and six percent of those of native‐born
households.
Table 14 shows average household income by region for the Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican
foreign born, and for native U.S. born citizens. In addition, the table shows the ratio of
Mexican‐born incomes to those of native U.S. born citizens and the ratio of non‐Mexican
foreign‐born incomes to those of native U.S. born citizens.
Table 14
Average Household Income
Mexican­Born
Non­Mexican
Foreign
Born
Native­Born
Average
Income
% Of Native
Income
Average
Income
% Of Native
Income
Average
Income
New England 63,661 68% 85,528 92% 93,005
Middle Atlantic 58,939 67% 82,370 94% 87,604
East North Central 52,832 72% 82,959 113% 73,695
West North Central 46,531 65% 73,166 103% 71,224
South Atlantic 50,524 67% 75,685 100% 75,954
East South Central 45,407 74% 76,594 124% 61,763
West South Central 41,980 61% 77,202 112% 68,833
Mountain 45,788 61% 76,344 102% 74,603
Pacific 55,378 63% 89,157 102% 87,779
National Average 50,431 65% 81,960 106% 77,380
There are dramatic differences in household income levels between Mexican‐born and the
other nativity categories examined. Mexican‐born household incomes are between only
sixty‐one percent and seventy four percent of those of native U.S. born households. Non‐
Mexican foreign‐born households, on the other hand, have incomes much closer to those of
native U.S. born households. In fact, in all but two regions, non‐Mexican foreign‐born
household incomes are higher than those of native U.S. born households. The reasons for
this are, in part, because many non‐Mexican‐foreign‐born work in the United States on H1‐B
visas for high skilled workers and include computer scientists, doctors, and other science
specialties, specialties that typically command high wages.
Figure 11, below, depicts average household incomes for the three nativity groups by region
and nationally. We see a consistency in the regional variation for all groups and for the
differences in household incomes between each of the three groups.
21
Figure 11
Personal Incomes
A number of possible explanations exist for these observed differences in household
income. Because the extent to which households have multiple income sources such as
more than one wage earner varies by nativity group, we turn, instead, to an examination of
personal income for a better understanding of the reasons for earnings differences across
nativity groups.
Differences in earnings result from differences in age (and therefore years of work
experience), differences in education, and differences in employment sectors. In addition,
immigration status impacts earnings. To the extent that some low skilled Mexican‐born in
the U.S. are undocumented, we would expect them to have fewer employment options and
to earn lower wages.
Table 15 shows average personal income by age group for the three nativity groups along
with the ratio of Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican foreign‐born income to that of native U.S.
born workers. We see that Mexican‐born under the age of twenty four have average
incomes higher than those of native U.S. born in the same age groups. Relative wages for
Mexican‐born fall in each subsequent age group, however. The relative wages of non‐
Mexican foreign‐born fall as well but remain much closer to those of native U.S. born
workers across each subsequent age group.
‐ 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000
New England
Middle Atlantic
East North Central
West North Central
South Atlantic
East South Central
West South Central
Mountain
Pacilic
Nationally
Non‐Mexican Foreign Born Mexican Born U.S. Born Citizens
Households headed by
Mexican‐born earn less
across all regions than
do those headed by US
born citizens or other
foreign born. And other
foreign born households
earn more than native
US born households in a
number of regions.
These differences in
earnings result from
differing levels and
types of education and
different roles in the
workforce.
Figure 11: Average income for households headed by Mexican‐born,
non‐Mexican foreign born, and native U.S. born.
22
Table 15
Average Personal Income by Age Group
Mexican­Born
Non­Mexican
Foreign
Born
Age Group Income
% of Native
Born Income Income
% of Native
Born Income
Native Born
Income
15‐19 9,344 189% 6,282 127% 4,949
20‐24 15,761 103% 15,661 102% 15,311
25‐29 20,336 68% 30,471 102% 30,019
30‐34 22,997 58% 41,662 106% 39,436
35‐39 26,230 56% 47,733 103% 46,429
40‐44 27,121 55% 49,277 101% 48,875
45‐49 27,327 54% 49,488 98% 50,718
50‐54 26,068 51% 47,949 93% 51,352
55‐59 24,494 48% 47,536 94% 50,547
60‐64 21,321 48% 41,939 95% 44,056
65‐69 16,238 46% 32,561 92% 35,579
70‐74 13,839 46% 25,121 83% 30,400
75‐79 11,846 43% 21,213 78% 27,306
80+ 12,145 50% 19,950 81% 24,487
Figure 12 depicts this personal income data by age and nativity group graphically.
Figure 12
‐
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
MexicanFB Non‐MexicanFB NB Citizens
Figure 12: Average personal income for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican foreign born,
and native U.S. born citizens.
23
The fact that Mexican‐born wages are persistently lower than those of the other two nativity
groups raises questions about whether this result from differences in education, differences
in occupation or from other factors such as legal status.
Table 16 shows average personal incomes for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican foreign born and
native U.S. born citizens by level of education. We see that immigrants with lower levels of
education earn more than native‐born with comparable levels of education. Surprisingly,
non‐Mexican foreign‐born and native U.S. born with higher levels of education earn
significantly more than do Mexican‐born with comparable levels of education. These data
are depicted graphically in Figure 13.
Table 16
Average Personal Income by Education and Nativity
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born
Educational
Attainment Income
% of Native
Income Income
% of Native
Income
Native Born
Citizen
Income
0‐8 Years 18,925 122% 18,043 116% 15,521
Some High School 20,414 130% 21,283 135% 15,750
High School Grad 23,002 84% 26,539 97% 27,233
Some College/Assoc. 28,653 84% 33,343 98% 33,964
College Grad 36,476 62% 50,983 87% 58,405
Professional/Masters 53,052 64% 79,144 96% 82,622
Doctorate 59,288 62% 90,689 95% 95,882
Figure 13
‐
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
Mexican‐Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born Native Citizens
Figure 13: Average personal income by education for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican
foreign born, and native U.S. born citizens.
24
The reasons for these differences in income at higher education levels are not clear. One
explanation may be differences in the sectors that employ Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican
foreign‐born workers. We return to information on employment by occupation discussed
earlier in this report.
Table 13 on page 18 shows the share of each occupation’s workforce that is Mexican‐born,
the share that is non‐Mexican foreign born and the share that is native U.S. born. This table
reveals that, while there are some similarities in the workforce participation of Mexican‐born
and other immigrants, there are also important differences. Both groups are an
important share of the workforce in construction, production, and building and grounds
cleaning and maintenance occupations. However, non‐Mexican foreign‐born are also a
much bigger part of the workforce in higher‐paying sectors such as sales, financial
specialists, computer and mathematical operations, and life sciences. Thus these differences
in occupation are a likely explanation of these differences in income in within similar
educational attainment categories.
Concluding Observations
The strong historical, cultural, and social links between the southwestern and western
United States and Mexico suggests that a large Mexican‐born population will continue to live
in the United States. The age and educational profile of this population will continue to be
shaped by the cumulative effect of individual decisions to migrate to the United States.
These individual decisions, in turn, are shaped by the economic opportunities available to
Mexican‐born in the United States compared to those available in Mexico.
We have seen that Mexican‐born in the United States are a key source of workers in specific
segments of the workforce and for specific industries. They provide a large share of young,
low‐skilled workers for industries such as agriculture, construction, production, building
and grounds service and maintenance, and food preparation. The fact that Mexican‐born
are a twenty nine percent of workers with less than a high school education indicates that
they are helping to fill gaps in the labor‐force not being filled either by native U.S. born
workers or other immigrants.
U.S. immigration policy aside, the extent to which there is migration pressure from Mexico
to the United States will, as always, depend on the opportunities available to workers in
Mexico compared to those available in the United States. It is interesting to note that the
vast majority of Mexicans migrating to the United States have low levels of education. This
suggests that returns to education in Mexico are high and that Mexicans with high levels of
education have good employment opportunities in Mexico. Thus incentives for migration
from Mexico to the United States will decline either as job opportunities for low skilled
workers improve in Mexico or as educational attainment levels increase.
25
Appendix A
States in United States Census Regions
Northeast Midwest
New England East North Central
Maine Wisconsin
New Hampshire Michigan
Vermont Illinois
Massachusetts Indiana
Connecticut Ohio
Rhode Island West North Central
Mid Atlantic Minnesota
New York Iowa
New Jersey Missouri
Pennsylvania North Dakota
South Dakota
South Nebraska
South Atlantic Kansas
Delaware
Maryland West
District of Columbia Mountain
Virginia Montana
West Virginia Wyoming
North Carolina Colorado
South Carolina New Mexico
Georgia Idaho
Florida Utah
East South Central Nevada
Kentucky Arizona
Tennessee Pacific
Alabama Washington
Mississippi Oregon
West South Central California
Oklahoma Alaska
Louisiana Hawaii
Arkansas
Texas
26

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Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, The University of Arizona
JUDITH GANS
Demographic Profile
Of
Mexican-Born
Living in the United Stat es
Immigration Policy Reports
August 2009
1
Notes and Acknowledgement
Unless otherwise noted, data for this report is from the United States Census Bureau’s
American Community Survey (ACS) 2005 to 2007 average database. The three‐year average
database was used for reasons of its larger sample size and greater accuracy. The source of
these data is the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS).1
The author wishes to thank Jason Jurjevich for his tireless and thorough data‐gathering
efforts and for his promptness and patience in responding to on‐going data requests as this
analytic effort evolved.
1 Steven Ruggles, Matthew Sobek, Trent Alexander, Catherine A. Fitch, Ronald Goeken,
Patricia Kelly Hall, Miriam King, and Chad Ronnander, Integrated Public Use Microdata
Series: Version 4.0 (Machine‐readabl database_, Minneapolis, MN: Pinnesota Population
Center [producer and distributor], 2009. Available at: http://usa.ipums.org/usa/
2
Table of Contents
Section Page
Executive Summary
3
Migration Pattern
4
Decade of Arrival 4
U.S. Citizenship Acquisition 4
Region of Residence 5
Age Profile and Share of Total Population
6
Educational Attainment
9
Share of Educational Attainment Cohort 11
Mexican‐born in the Workforce
12
Participation Rates 12
Regional Distribution of Workforce 14
Occupational Distribution 16
Share of Occupational Workforce 17
Incomes
20
Household Income 20
Personal Income 21
Concluding Observations
24
Appendix A
25
3
Executive Summary
As of the middle of the current decade, approximately eleven percent of Mexican‐born were
living in the United States. This migration derives from the two countries historical ties, the
long land border that they share, and the Bracero temporary worker program in effect from
the late 1940s until the late 1960s. What follows is a profile of the characteristics of this
population including its age, educational attainment, U.S. region of residence, workforce
participation, and income levels. The report’s findings include the following information
about Mexican‐born living in the United States.
• The majority of this population arrived in the United States after 1980;
• They acquire U.S. citizenship at much lower rates than do other foreign‐born;
• The majority of this population lives in the southwestern and western regions of the
United States;
• They are, on average, somewhat younger than other immigrants and significantly
younger than the native U.S. born population;
• Their educational attainment levels are somewhat lower than those of other
immigrants and substantially lower than those of native U.S. born citizens;
• Total workforce participation rates are higher than for other foreign‐born but this is
due to higher participation rates among the youngest Mexican‐born workers.
Participation rates for the older workforce age cohorts are slightly lower than for
other foreign‐born;
• Mexican‐born workers are concentrated in few occupational sectors, namely
construction, production, building and grounds service and maintenance, and food
preparation and serving. They are a key source of workers for agriculture. Other
foreign‐born and native‐born workers are more diffused throughout the economy;
• Income levels are lower for Mexican‐born workers than for other foreign‐born or for
native U.S. born citizens. This results from their lower education levels and from the
specific areas of employment.
Mexican‐born in the United States are key sources of workers in fairly narrow segments of
the workforce and for specific industries. They provide a large share of young, low‐skilled
workers for industries such as agriculture, construction, production, building and grounds
service and maintenance, and food preparation, and appear to be filling gaps in the labor‐force
not being filled either by other foreign‐born or native U.S. born workers. The
following sections of this report elaborate these findings more fully.
4
Migration Patterns
The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that, between 2005
and 2007, the average number of people born in Mexico and living in the United States was
about 11,437,000 people. According to the World Bank, the average population of Mexico
during that same period was about 104,200,000 people.2. Thus roughly one in nine, or
eleven percent, of Mexican‐born people was living in the United States during that period.
This report will provide a demographic profile of this population and describe their
participation in the economy of the United States.
Decade of Arrival
Mexican migration to the United States has occurred throughout the two countries’ histories
but it has increased during the last half of the 20th Century. The origins of today’s migratory
patterns and levels date back to the Bracero Program, instituted by the United States in
response to labor shortages during World War II. This program fostered a phenomenon of
circular migration characterized by Mexicans traveling to “el Norte” in search of seasonal
work and periodically returning to Mexico. Some people did not return to Mexico,
contributing to the growth of the Mexican‐born population living in the United States.
Circularity has been inhibited by increased enforcement by the U.S. at the U.S.‐Mexico
border against illegal immigration. This reduced circularity has combined with other large
global demographic and economic forces to significantly increase the size of the Mexican‐born
population in the United States during the past 20 to 30 years. Table 1 looks at when
U.S. based Mexican‐born arrived by decade of arrival and illustrates the relatively recent
nature of much of this migration.
Table 1
Decade of Arrival
Mexican­born
Living in the U.S.
Number Share of Total
Since 2000 3,224,496 28%
1990s 3,838,026 34%
1980s 2,383,369 21%
1970 and Before 1,990,884 17%
11,436,775 100%
United States Citizenship Acquisition
Table 2 shows that twenty two percent of the 11,437,775 Mexican‐born in the United States
have become naturalized U.S. citizens and seventy eight percent are not U.S. citizens. Fifty
one percent of other foreign born have become U.S. citizens
2 Available at:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20535285~menuPK:1192694~pageP
K:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html
Sixty two percent of Mexicans
living in the U.S. arrived after
1990. Only seventeen percent
arrived prior to 1970. Some
circular migration persists, but
the number of Mexicans in the
U.S. has grown significantly.
5
The reasons for these differences in U.S. citizenship between Mexican‐born and other
foreign‐born are complex. They include Mexican‐born patterns of circular migration, the
fact that many Mexican‐born are recently arrived in the U.S., and the reality that a significant
portion of Mexican‐born in the U.S. are undocumented and therefore excluded from
traditional paths to U.S. citizenship.
Table 2
Number and Share of Foreign Born With U.S. Citizenship
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born
Total Foreign Born
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Naturalized Citizens 2,485,264 22% 13,133,336 51% 15,618,600 42%
Non Citizens 8,951,511 78% 12,655,522 49% 21,607,033 58%
Total 11,436,775 100% 25,788,858 100% 37,225,633 100%
Regions of Residence
Mexicans living in the United States are not evenly distributed throughout the country.
Rather, they are clustered within particular geographic regions. The reasons for this are a
combination of social networks rooted in historical migration and patterns of economic
activity in the United States.
Figure 1 depicts the number of Mexican‐born living in the nine U.S. Census Regions. The
percent of the Mexican‐born population in each of these regions is shown in parentheses.
See Appendix A for a list of the States within each region.
Figure 1
39,762 (0.4%)
378,013 (3%)
1,014,050 (9%)
263,316 (2%)
987,696 (9%)
160,228 (1%)
2,491,949 (22%)
1,365,592 (12%)
4,736,169 (41%)
New England
Mid Atlantic
E North Central
W North Central
South Atlantic
E South Central
W South Central
Mountain
Pacilic
Figure 1: Number and percent of Mexican‐born living in the nine U.S. Census Regions.
6
Seventy five percent of Mexican‐born live in the regions that encompass the American
southwest and west. Forty one percent live in the Pacific region, which includes the state of
California. The second‐largest group at twenty two percent is in the West South Central
region, which includes the state of Texas. The smallest share lives in New England.
Age Profile and Share of Total Population
Table 3 shows the number and percentage by five‐year age group of Mexican‐born and
other foreign born living in the U.S., and native U.S. born. We see that Mexican‐born are
four percent of the total population, other foreign‐born are nine percent, and native U.S.
born are eighty eight percent of the total population. Both Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican
foreign‐born are disproportionately of working age. The age‐profile of both categories of
foreign‐born differs dramatically from that of the native U.S.‐born population and reflects
the reality that the motivation to migrate in a global economy is employment.
Table 3
Population by Age Cohort and Nativity
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native US Born
Age Number
% Of
Mexican
Born Number
% Of Non
Mexican
Foreign Born Number
% Of
Native
Born
0‐4 103,182 1% 203,956 1% 20,178,158 8%
5‐9 294,453 3% 446,511 2% 18,952,072 7%
10‐14 434,335 4% 658,050 3% 19,498,810 7%
15‐19 653,310 6% 1,014,101 4% 19,801,852 8%
20‐24 1,148,318 10% 1,552,477 6% 18,127,612 7%
25‐29 1,565,406 14% 2,105,836 8% 16,616,373 6%
30‐34 1,654,748 14% 2,613,074 10% 15,271,393 6%
35‐39 1,512,132 13% 2,775,816 11% 16,889,052 6%
40‐44 1,210,908 11% 2,751,825 11% 18,574,796 7%
45‐49 887,821 8% 2,489,764 10% 19,314,291 7%
50‐54 643,918 6% 2,129,647 8% 17,725,777 7%
55‐59 450,521 4% 1,793,384 7% 15,567,031 6%
60‐64 304,766 3% 1,387,041 5% 12,058,575 5%
65‐69 210,009 2% 1,117,866 4% 9,058,859 3%
70‐74 147,124 1% 911,129 4% 7,480,012 3%
75‐79 102,510 1% 716,828 3% 6,667,967 3%
80+ 113,314 1% 958,975 4% 9,749,047 4%
Total 11,436,775 100% 25,626,280 100% 261,531,677 100%
Share Of Total Population 4% 9% 88%
7
Figure 2 provides a graphic depiction of the age‐group profile of Mexicans in the United
States and underscores the extent to which they are of working age.
Figure 2
Because much of the motivation to migrate, it is not surprising that most Mexican‐born
living in the U.S. are of working age. But, as we shall see later in this report, the contrast
between the age and education profiles of Mexican immigrants and those of native US born
citizens underscore the complexities of the demographic and economic forces driving
migration from Mexico to the United States which significantly shape who migrates from
Mexico to the United States. Figure 3 illustrates differences in the age profile of Mexican‐born
from that of other foreign‐born.
Figure 3
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
0‐4
5‐9
10‐1
154‐ 1
20‐2
25‐2
309‐ 3
354‐ 3
40‐4
45‐4
50‐5
55‐5
609‐ 6
65‐6
70‐7
754‐ 7
80+
Thousands
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Mexican Born Other Foreign Born
Figure 3: Five‐year age cohorts’ share of Mexican‐born in
the U.S. compared to other foreign born in the U.S.
Figure 2: Number of Mexican‐born in the United States by
five‐year age group. (Data in thousands.)
Mexican‐born living in the U.S.
are concentrated in young adult
age groups. Sixty two percent of
all Mexican‐born living in the
United States are between 20
and 45 years of age.
Relatively few Mexicans in the
U.S. are under the age of fifteen
or over the age of fifty.
There are relatively more
Mexican‐born under age 40
than other foreign born and
fewer Mexican‐born over age
45 than other foreign born.
While most other foreign born
are also of working age, the
population of other foreign
born is older, on average, than
Mexican‐born in the U.S.
Figure 4, below, shows the age
distribution of Mexican‐born
compared to that of U.S. born
citizens.
8
Figure 4
Table 4 shows the share of each age group that is Mexican‐born, the share that is foreign
born from other countries, and the share that is native U.S. born.
Table 4
Age Group Share of Total Population
Age Group Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native US Born Total
0‐4 1% 1% 98% 100%
5‐9 1% 2% 96% 100%
10‐14 2% 3% 95% 100%
15‐19 3% 5% 92% 100%
20‐24 6% 8% 87% 100%
25‐29 8% 10% 82% 100%
30‐34 8% 13% 78% 100%
35‐39 7% 13% 80% 100%
40‐44 5% 12% 82% 100%
45‐49 4% 11% 85% 100%
50‐54 3% 10% 86% 100%
55‐59 3% 10% 87% 100%
60‐64 2% 10% 88% 100%
65‐69 2% 11% 87% 100%
70‐74 2% 11% 88% 100%
75‐79 1% 10% 89% 100%
80+ 1% 9% 90% 100%
Total 4% 9% 88% 100%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Mexican‐Born Native US Born
Figure 4: Five‐year age cohorts’ share of Mexican‐born in
the U.S. compared to native U.S. born citizens.
The age profile of Mexicans in
the U.S. differs significantly
from native U.S. born citizens.
Mexican‐born are largely of
working age while native U.S.
born are more evenly
distributed across all age
groups.
The largest concentrations of
U.S.‐based Mexican born and
other foreign born are in age
groups with the lowest share of
native U.S. born. This reflects a
demographic reality driving
migration to the US: the native‐born
population has relatively
fewer working‐age people.
9
As we see in Table 4, the age group with the largest share of Mexican‐born is young adults
between the ages of 25 and 34. Mexican‐born in the U.S. are eight percent of this age group.
Not surprisingly, this is also the age group with the smallest share of native U.S. born people.
The next largest share of Mexican‐born is people between the ages of 35 and 39 at seven
percent. This is also the second‐smallest share age group of Native U.S. born people.
Figure 5
Thus we see that Mexican‐born and other immigrants in the United States are adding
numbers of people in age groups where there are relatively fewer native U.S. born people.
Immigrants are also contributing significantly to the growth of the U.S. population.
Educational Attainment
Education is generally used as a proxy for occupational skill, and an adult’s educational
attainment significantly shapes his or her options for employment and role in the work
force. Further, analysis of the education profile of sub‐groups or of a whole population
provides insights to the productive capacities of those groups or of the entire labor force.
Growth of sectors such as bioscience that employ highly skilled workers requires the
availability of workers with appropriate scientific education. Growth in sectors such as
construction or leisure and hospitality that employ large numbers of low skilled workers
requires an available workforce with minimal education.
Analysis of the educational attainment of Mexican‐born in the United States sheds light on
their role in the U.S. economy. Such analysis also sheds light on differences in earning
potential for a given level of education in each of the two countries because decisions to
migrate are significantly shaped by the employment and earnings options that accrue to a
given level of education in immigrant‐sending and immigrant‐receiving countries.
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
0‐4
5‐9
10‐14
15‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Native US Born Other Foreign Born Mexican Born
These complementary age‐group
patterns are visible in
Figure 5 and indicate the
extent to which immigration is
smoothing the age‐group
distribution of the population
in the United States.
Note that of 78,431,000 native
born children under 20 about
14,669,000 or almost nineteen
percent had at least one
foreign‐born parent.
10
Figure 6 depicts the educational attainment for Mexican‐born adults age 25 and older living
in the United States. Most Mexican born in the U.S. have had limited education. Forty two
percent have eight or few years of schooling. Another forty three percent have attended or
graduated from high school. The remaining fifteen percent have education beyond high
school, but fewer than two percent have education beyond college.
Figure 6
The educational attainment profile of U.S. based Mexican born differs in important ways
from that of other foreign born and of native U.S. born citizens. Table 5, below, details the
educational attainment data for these three nativity groups. The educational attainment
share of each group is also shown, and significant differences in educational attainment
profile are evident.
The proportion of native U.S. born citizens and other foreign born immigrants with eight or
fewer years of schooling is significantly smaller than that of Mexican‐born in the U.S. The
proportion of native‐born citizens and other foreign‐born immigrants with more than a high
school education is significantly greater than that of Mexican‐born in the U.S. Other foreign
born have thirty percent more people with professional or masters degrees and three times
as many people with doctorate degrees than do native born people. Thus, as measured by
educational attainment, we see that Mexican‐born in the U.S. are generally lower skilled
than native U.S. born citizens or other immigrants. We also see that other foreign‐born are
an important source of higher‐skilled workers in the U.S. economy.
3,655,514 (42%)
1,679,840 (19%)
2,133,043 (24%)
893,726 (10%)
316,727 (4%)
113,451 (1%)
10,876 (0.12%)
0‐8
Some HS
HS Grad
Some College/Associates
College Grad
Prof/Masters
Doctorate
Figure 6: Educational attainment of Mexican‐born in the United States, age 25 and older.
11
Table 5
Educational Attainment by Nativity
(People Age 25 and Older)
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born Native U.S. Born
Schooling Number
Share
of Total Number
Share of
Total Number
Share of
Total
0‐8 Years 3,655,514 42% 2,632,307 12% 6,386,174 4%
Some High School 1,679,840 19% 1,918,819 9% 14,924,210 9%
High School Grad 2,133,043 24% 5,111,801 23% 51,542,409 31%
Some College or
Associates
Degree 893,726 10% 4,468,303 20% 47,400,897 29%
College Graduate 316,727 4% 4,520,131 21% 28,628,763 17%
Professional or
Masters Degree 113,451 1% 2,655,390 12% 14,499,184 9%
Doctorate 10,876 0.12% 548,825 3% 1,591,536 0.96%
Total 8,803,177 100% 21,855,576 100% 164,973,173 100%
Share of Educational Cohort
Further insights to the role of Mexicans, other foreign born, and native U.S. born in the
workforce can be gained by examine the share that each nativity group contributes to a
given educational cohort. The following graph illustrates this data.
Figure 7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
0‐8 Years
Some High School
High School Grad
Some College or
Associates Degree
College Grad
Prof or Masters
Degree
Doctorate
Native Born Other Foreign Born Mexican Born
US based Mexican‐born
are 4% of the
overall population
but are 29% of those
with eight or fewer
years of school while
native US born are
50% of this group.
At the other end of
the spectrum, US
born are 74% of
those with doctorate
degrees and Mexican
born are 1% of this
education group.
These data are
provided in Table 6
below.
Figure 7: Population shares of educational attainment categories.
12
Table 6
Share of Educational Cohort by Nativity
(People Age 25 and Older)
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign
Born
Native
Born Total
0‐8 Years 29% 21% 50% 100%
Some High School 9% 10% 81% 100%
High School Grad 4% 9% 88% 100%
Some College or Associates Degree 2% 8% 90% 100%
College Grad 1% 14% 86% 100%
Professional or Masters Degree 1% 15% 84% 100%
Doctorate 1% 26% 74% 100%
Examining the educational attainment profile of Mexican born in the U.S. sheds light on the
type of person from Mexico that decides to migrate to the U.S. and provides insight to the
differences in employment opportunity between the two countries. In a real sense, this
profile is the sum of a set of individual decisions to migrate. Table 5 shows that sixty one
percent of Mexicans in the U.S. have less than a high school education and indicates that
employment opportunities for low skilled workers are better in the U.S. than in Mexico.
Examining the Mexican‐born share of each educational attainment cohort provides a
different kind of insight. This analysis sheds light on the role of Mexican‐born in the U.S.
economy. Table 6 shows that Mexican‐born are only four percent of the total population yet
provide thirty eight percent of those with less than a high school. This indicates that
Mexican‐born are an important source of low‐skilled workers in the U.S. economy. The
following section examines the role of Mexican‐born in the U.S. workforce.
Mexican­born
in the U.S. Workforce
Participation Rates
Approximately 7,330,000 Mexican‐born in the age 16 and older participate in the U.S. labor
force. The total population in this age group is 10,504,000, which translates to a labor‐force
participation rate of seventy percent. By contrast, the total native U.S. born population age
16 and older is 199,000,000, with a labor‐force participation rate of sixty four percent or
127,861,000 people. Non‐Mexican foreign‐born age 16 and older have a workforce
participation rate of sixty five percent, or 15,860,000 workers out of a total population of
24,285,000 people. Table 7 depicts the workforce participation rates by age of Mexican‐born
and other foreign‐born in the United States age 16 and older. These participation rates
are shown graphically in Figure 8.
13
Table 7
Workforce Participation
(People Age 16 and Older)
Mexican­Born
in the U.S. Non­Mexican
Foreign Born
Age
Total
Population
In
Workforce
Participation
Rate
Total
Population
In
workforce
Participation
Rate
16‐19 552,731 259,343 47% 862,907 311,142 36%
20‐24 1,148,318 859,587 75% 1,566,719 1,051,175 67%
25‐29 1,565,406 1,178,277 75% 2,118,102 1,618,167 76%
30‐34 1,654,748 1,250,873 76% 2,629,863 2,071,899 79%
35‐39 1,512,132 1,158,760 77% 2,789,869 2,232,107 80%
40‐44 1,210,908 950,280 78% 2,766,212 2,260,074 82%
45‐49 887,821 686,259 77% 2,503,316 2,044,285 82%
50‐54 643,918 473,114 73% 2,138,919 1,691,660 79%
55‐59 450,521 289,337 64% 1,801,350 1,278,495 71%
60‐64 304,766 142,128 47% 1,392,461 766,350 55%
65‐69 210,009 53,795 26% 1,122,478 325,805 29%
70‐74 147,124 18,287 12% 913,586 133,702 15%
75‐79 102,510 6,360 6% 718,013 49,640 7%
80+ 113,314 3,230 3% 961,407 25,311 3%
Total 10,504,226 7,329,630 70% 24,285,202 15,859,812 65%
Figure 8
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
16‐19
20‐24
25‐29
30‐34
35‐39
40‐44
45‐49
50‐54
55‐59
60‐64
65‐69
70‐74
75‐79
80+
Total
Mexican‐Born Other Foreign Born
Figure 9: Workforce participation rates for Mexican‐born
and other foreign‐born.
Each group’s total labor force
participation rate is influenced by the
age‐profile of each workforce. While
the participation rates for Mexican‐born
are lower in many age groups
than the rate for other foreign born,
the overall participation rate for ‘Total
Mexican‐born” is higher than the rate
for ‘Total Other Foreign Born’. This is
because the rates are higher for
Mexican‐born in the youngest age
categories and the Mexican‐born
population is, on average, younger
than the other foreign born
population.
14
Regional Distribution
Not surprisingly, the regional distribution of the Mexican born in the workforce mirrors that
of the total Mexican‐born population in the United States. Table 8 shows the U.S.‐based
Mexican‐born workforce age 16 and older by region.
Table 8
Region
Mexican­born
Population
Regional
Share
New England 28,040 0.38%
Middle Atlantic 267,007 4%
East North Central 677,183 9%
West North Central 176,205 2%
South Atlantic 684,490 9%
East South Central 106,922 1%
West South Central 1,507,204 21%
Mountain 852,669 12%
Pacific 3,029,910 41%
Total Workforce 7,329,630 100%
The fact that the regional distribution of
the Mexican‐born workforce mirrors
that of the whole population means that
workforce participation rates do not
differ significantly across regions.
While Table 8 looks at the distribution
of the Mexican‐born workforce, Table 9,
below, examines the distribution of
each region’s workforce by nativity.
Table 9 shows that there is notable variation in the foreign‐born share of the workforce in
each of the nine U.S. census regions, with some regions relying more heavily on foreign‐born
workers than others. While Mexican‐born are five percent of the workforce nationally, they
are less than one percent of the work force in New England and thirteen percent of the
workforce in the Pacific Region. The Pacific region also has the largest total share of
foreign‐born workers at twenty nine percent and the highest share of Mexican‐born
workers of any region. The next highest regional share of Mexican‐born workers is in the
West South Central region at nine percent of the region’s workforce. The Mid Atlantic
region has the highest share of non­Mexican
foreign born at nineteen percent however
Mexican‐born are only one percent of the Mid Atlantic workforce.
Table 9
Regional Workforce Size and Share by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB
Native U.S. Born
Citizens Total Workforce
Region Number % Number % Number % Number %
New England 28,040
0.
4 1,007,688 13 6,628,708 86 7,664,436 100
Middle Atlantic 267,007 1 3,783,388 19 16,269,723 80 20,320,118 100
E. North Central 677,183 3 1,335,403 6 21,714,432 92 23,727,018 100
W. North Central 176,205 2 417,420 4 10,093,997 94 10,687,622 100
S. Atlantic 684,490 2 3,508,248 12 24,562,794 85 28,755,532 100
E. South Central 106,922 1 228,381 3 8,194,261 96 8,529,564 100
W. South Central 1,507,204 9 1,032,355 6 14,077,044 85 16,616,603 100
Mountain 852,669 8 613,162 6 9,105,069 86 10,570,900 100
Pacific 3,029,910 13 3,933,767 16 17,214,723 71 24,178,400 100
National Totals 7,329,630 5 15,859,812 10 127,860,751 85 151,050,193 100
15
The reasons for these regional variations in the foreign‐born share of the workforce, in part,
reflect differing in the kinds of economic activity in each region. Because immigrants are
fifty percent of those with 0 to 8 years of schooling, they are an important source of low‐skilled
workers to sectors such as leisure and hospitality, construction, and agriculture.
Consequently, immigrants are an important share of the workforce in those regions with
large construction, agriculture, and leisure and hospitality sectors. Table 10 shows the
number of workers, by age group, in each of the nine Census regions.
Table 10
Number of Mexican­born
Workers by Region and Age Group
Age Group New England
Middle
Atlantic
East North
Central
West North
Central
South
Atlantic
16‐19 429 10,941 22,406 6,435 28,675
20‐24 4,316 46,023 75,972 22,499 107,873
25‐29 5,280 57,332 113,947 32,140 147,052
30‐34 6,416 51,816 122,360 31,203 135,173
35‐39 4,486 41,430 104,149 29,738 102,568
40‐44 3,168 26,814 86,286 22,363 72,055
45‐49 1,793 14,711 63,521 13,509 40,652
50‐54 810 9,676 42,612 7,993 27,072
55‐59 816 4,734 26,997 5,149 13,571
60‐64 408 2,186 12,270 3,125 5,964
65‐69 24 902 4,117 1,276 2,166
70‐74 94 317 1,566 533 1,262
75‐79 na* na* 469 216 315
80+ na* 125 511 26 92
Total Number 28,040 267,007 677,183 176,205 684,490
Percent of Total 0.38% 3.6% 9.2% 2.4% 9.3%
Table 10 (Cont.)
Age Cohort
E South
Central
W South
Central Mountain Pacific
National
Total
15‐19 7,427 54,161 31,634 97,235 259,343
20‐24 16,787 159,340 98,946 327,831 859,587
25‐29 21,908 229,425 144,538 426,655 1,178,277
30‐34 22,911 243,932 151,187 485,875 1,250,873
35‐39 15,005 224,695 135,799 500,890 1,158,760
40‐44 10,003 203,565 109,862 416,164 950,280
45‐49 6,015 153,619 74,362 318,077 686,259
50‐54 3,243 109,137 50,630 221,941 473,114
55‐59 2,094 69,967 32,251 133,758 289,337
60‐64 1,208 37,321 15,056 64,590 142,128
65‐69 67 14,416 6,081 24,746 53,795
70‐74 74 4,830 1,836 7,775 18,287
75‐79 180 2,063 335 2,782 6,360
80+ ‐ 733 152 1,591 3,230
Total Number 106,922 1,507,204 852,669 3,029,910 7,329,630
Percent of Total 1.5% 20.6% 11.6% 41.3% 100%
*na indicates that the number of people in this region’s age group is small and that the American
Community Survey sample did not include anyone in this cohort.
16
Occupation Distribution
The occupational distribution of the workforce by nativity provides insight to the segments
of the labor force that are occupied by Mexican‐born, other foreign‐born, and U.S. born
workers. This segmentation occurs for reasons that include differences in age, educational
attainment, work experience, and other factors affecting labor market competition.
Table 11 shows the share of each sector’s workforce in each nativity group. The sectors are
ranked in descending order by the number and share of Mexican‐born workers employed.
Table 11
Occupational Distribution Size and Share by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB NB Citizens Total Workforce
Occupation Number % Number % Number % Number %
Construction 1,466,377 20 935,851 6 7,159,650 6 9,561,878 6
Production 1,058,257 14 1,215,861 8 7,942,817 6 10,216,935 7
Building & Grounds
Cleaning & Maintenance 946,162 13 923,804 6 4,013,140 3 5,883,106 4
Food Preparation &
Serving 776,049 11 948,238 6 6,542,869 5 8,267,156 5
Transportation & Material
Moving 685,686 9 898,923 6 7,861,813 6 9,446,422 6
Office & Admin Support 434,764 6 1,698,118 11 19,303,836 15 21,436,718 14
Farming, Fishing Forestry 422,500 6 53,274 0.34 630,574 0.49 1,106,348 1
Sales 401,493 5 1,663,450 10 15,148,812 12 17,213,755 11
Installation, Maint, Repair 254,729 3 421,170 3 4,567,454 4 5,243,353 3
Management Operations 197,537 3 1,331,397 8 12,112,943 9 13,641,877 9
Personal Care & Service 173,128 2 705,589 4 3,969,610 3 4,848,327 3
Education, Training,
Library 87,370 1 697,282 4 7,429,068 6 8,213,720 5
Military 83,163 1 179,223 1 1,625,275 1 1,887,661 1
Healthcare Support 72,623 1 478,438 3 2,673,302 2 3,224,363 2
Healthcare Practitioners &
Technical 40,896 1 937,803 6 6,140,756 5 7,119,455 5
Arts, Design, Entertain.,
Sports, &Media 39,145 1 280,918 2 2,491,751 2 2,811,814 2
Protective Service 32,144 0.44 182,656 1 2,889,968 2 3,104,768 2
Business Ops Specialists 30,506 0.42 246,401 2 2,609,070 2 2,885,977 2
Community & Social Svc 28,055 0.38 180,274 1 2,086,739 2 2,295,068 2
Architecture & Engineering
Occupations 27,584 0.38 434,860 3 2,312,347 2 2,774,791 2
Financial Specialists 26,839 0.37 415,392 3 2,928,936 2 3,371,167 2
Computer & Math
Occupations 17,585 0.24 693,375 4 2,640,840 2 3,351,800 2
Life, Physical, & Social
Science 9,805 0.13 238,309 2 1,081,017 1 1,329,131 1
Legal Occupations 8,681 0.12 96,221 1 1,527,026 1 1,631,928 1
Extraction 8,552 0.12 2,985 0.02 171,138 0.13 182,675 0.12
Total 7,329,630 100 15,859,812 100 127,860,751 100 151,050,193 100
Twenty percent of Mexican‐born workers in the U.S. work in the construction industry.
Another fourteen percent work in production (manufacturing), and thirteen percent work
17
in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance. The largest employment sector for both
‘Other Foreign Born’ and ‘Native U.S. Born’ workers is ‘Office and Administrative Support’ at
eleven and fifteen percent respectively. The smallest percentage of Mexican‐born work in
legal occupations and extraction (mining) with less than one percent employed in either of
these sectors.
Mexican‐born are more concentrated in specific sectors of the economy than are other
workers. Fifty one percent of the Mexican‐born workforce employed in just four sectors
while both ‘Other Foreign Born’ and ‘Native U.S. Born Citizens’ are more widely diffused
throughout the economy.
Table 12
Occupational Sector’s Employment Rank
Occupation Mexican­born
Other
Foreign
Born
Native
US
Born
Construction 1 7 7
Production 2 4 4
Building and Grounds
Cleaning and Maintenance
3 8 11
Food Preparation and
Serving
4 5 8
Transportation and
Material Moving
5 9 5
Office and Administrative
Support
6 1 1
Farming, Fishing, and
Forestry
7 24 24
Sales 8 2 2
Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair
9 15 10
Management Operations 10 3 3
Cumulative Share of Top
Five Sectors
67% 43% 49%
Cumulative Share of Top
Ten Sectors
91% 71% 74%
Share of Occupational Workforce
Table 13 examines the share of each occupation’s workforce that is Mexican‐born, the share
that comes from countries other than Mexico, and the share that was born in the U.S. This
data provides a picture of how important each category of worker is to a given occupational
sector. (The above‐discussed Table 11, on the other hand, provides a picture of how
important a given sector of the economy is to each group of workers.)
Table 12 ranks sectors by the
number and share of Mexican–
born employed in that sector.
The construction sector ranks
first in employment of
Mexican‐born workers. Table
12 also shows the sectors’
employment ranking for other
foreign born and native U.S.
born workers.
Table 12 also indicates that
sixty seven percent of Mexican‐born
workers in the U.S. are
employed in just five sectors.
The top ten sectors account for
ninety one percent of Mexican‐born
employment.
We see that other foreign born
and native‐born are more
diffuse throughout the
economy.
18
Thirty eight percent of the workforce in ‘Farming, Fishing and Forestry’ is Mexican‐born.
Five percent of the workforce in this sector is non‐Mexican foreign born and only fifty seven
percent is native U.S. born. The next largest Mexican‐born share of the workforce at sixteen
percent is in ‘Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance’. The rows for sectors that
disproportionately rely on Mexican‐born workers are highlighted.
Table 13
Share of Occupational Workforce by Nativity
Mexican Born Non­Mexican
FB NB Citizens Total Workforce
Occupation Number % Number % Number % Number %
Construction 1,466,377 15 935,851 10 7,159,650 75 9,561,878 100
Production 1,058,257 10 1,215,861 12 7,942,817 78 10,216,935 100
Building and Grounds
Cleaning and Maintenance 946,162 16 923,804 16 4,013,140 68 5,883,106 100
Food Preparation and
Serving 776,049 9 948,238 11 6,542,869 79 8,267,156 100
Transportation and
Material Moving 685,686 7 898,923 10 7,861,813 83 9,446,422 100
Office and Administrative
Support 434,764 2 1,698,118 8 19,303,836 90 21,436,718 100
Farming, Fishing, and
Forestry 422,500 38 53,274 5 630,574 57 1,106,348 100
Sales 401,493 2 1,663,450 10 15,148,812 88 17,213,755 100
Installation, Maintenance,
and Repair 254,729 5 421,170 8 4,567,454 87 5,243,353 100
Management Operations 197,537 1 1,331,397 10 12,112,943 89 13,641,877 100
Personal Care and Service 173,128 4 705,589 15 3,969,610 82 4,848,327 100
Education, Training, and
Library 87,370 1 697,282 8 7,429,068 90 8,213,720 100
Military 83,163 4 179,223 9 1,625,275 86 1,887,661 100
Healthcare Support 72,623 2 478,438 15 2,673,302 83 3,224,363 100
Healthcare Practitioners
and Technical 40,896 1 937,803 13 6,140,756 86 7,119,455 100
Arts, Design,
Entertainment, Sports, and
Media 39,145 1 280,918 10 2,491,751 89 2,811,814 100
Protective Service 32,144 1 182,656 6 2,889,968 93 3,104,768 100
Business Operations
Specialists 30,506 1 246,401 9 2,609,070 90 2,885,977 100
Community and Social
Services 28,055 1 180,274 8 2,086,739 91 2,295,068 100
Architecture and
Engineering Occupations 27,584 1 434,860 16 2,312,347 83 2,774,791 100
Financial Specialists 26,839 1 415,392 12 2,928,936 87 3,371,167 100
Computer and
Mathematical Occupations 17,585 1 693,375 21 2,640,840 79 3,351,800 100
Life, Physical, and Social
Science 9,805 1 238,309 18 1,081,017 81 1,329,131 100
Legal Occupations 8,681 1 96,221 6 1,527,026 94 1,631,928 100
Extraction 8,552 5 2,985 2 171,138 94 182,675 100
Total 7,329,630 5 15,859,812 10 127,860,751 85 151,050,193 100
19
Figures 9 and 10 provide a graphic depiction of the share of the workforce that is Mexican‐born
in each of the twenty‐five occupational sectors examined. Sectors are ranked by their
share‐of‐workforce that is Mexican‐born. The corresponding share of the workforce that is
Non‐Mexican foreign born is also shown for each sector.
Figure 9
Figure 10
8%
15%
10%
15%
9%
2%
8%
10%
11%
12%
10%
16%
5%
2%
2%
2%
4%
4%
5%
5%
7%
9%
10%
15%
16%
38%
Oflice and Administrative Support
Healthcare Support
Sales
Personal Care and Service
Military
Extraction
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Transportation and Material Moving
Food Preparation and Serving
Production
Construction
Building and Grounds Cleaning and
Maintenance
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Mexican Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born
21%
6%
13%
18%
12%
16%
6%
9%
8%
8%
10%
10%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Computer and Mathematical
Occupations
Legal Occupations
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Financial Specialists
Architecture and Engineering
Occupations
Protective Service
Business Operations Specialists
Education, Training, and Library
Community and Social Services
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and
Media
Management Operations
Mexican‐Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born
Figure 9: Mexican‐born and Non‐Mexican foreign born share‐of‐workforce in top 13
occupations employing Mexican‐born
Figure 10: Mexican‐born and Non‐Mexican foreign‐born share‐of‐workforce in bottom
12 occupations employing Mexican‐born.
20
Incomes
Household Income
U.S.‐based Mexican households have average incomes that are, on average, sixty five percent
of those of native‐born households. This contrasts with household incomes of non‐Mexican
foreign born which are, on average, one hundred and six percent of those of native‐born
households.
Table 14 shows average household income by region for the Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican
foreign born, and for native U.S. born citizens. In addition, the table shows the ratio of
Mexican‐born incomes to those of native U.S. born citizens and the ratio of non‐Mexican
foreign‐born incomes to those of native U.S. born citizens.
Table 14
Average Household Income
Mexican­Born
Non­Mexican
Foreign
Born
Native­Born
Average
Income
% Of Native
Income
Average
Income
% Of Native
Income
Average
Income
New England 63,661 68% 85,528 92% 93,005
Middle Atlantic 58,939 67% 82,370 94% 87,604
East North Central 52,832 72% 82,959 113% 73,695
West North Central 46,531 65% 73,166 103% 71,224
South Atlantic 50,524 67% 75,685 100% 75,954
East South Central 45,407 74% 76,594 124% 61,763
West South Central 41,980 61% 77,202 112% 68,833
Mountain 45,788 61% 76,344 102% 74,603
Pacific 55,378 63% 89,157 102% 87,779
National Average 50,431 65% 81,960 106% 77,380
There are dramatic differences in household income levels between Mexican‐born and the
other nativity categories examined. Mexican‐born household incomes are between only
sixty‐one percent and seventy four percent of those of native U.S. born households. Non‐
Mexican foreign‐born households, on the other hand, have incomes much closer to those of
native U.S. born households. In fact, in all but two regions, non‐Mexican foreign‐born
household incomes are higher than those of native U.S. born households. The reasons for
this are, in part, because many non‐Mexican‐foreign‐born work in the United States on H1‐B
visas for high skilled workers and include computer scientists, doctors, and other science
specialties, specialties that typically command high wages.
Figure 11, below, depicts average household incomes for the three nativity groups by region
and nationally. We see a consistency in the regional variation for all groups and for the
differences in household incomes between each of the three groups.
21
Figure 11
Personal Incomes
A number of possible explanations exist for these observed differences in household
income. Because the extent to which households have multiple income sources such as
more than one wage earner varies by nativity group, we turn, instead, to an examination of
personal income for a better understanding of the reasons for earnings differences across
nativity groups.
Differences in earnings result from differences in age (and therefore years of work
experience), differences in education, and differences in employment sectors. In addition,
immigration status impacts earnings. To the extent that some low skilled Mexican‐born in
the U.S. are undocumented, we would expect them to have fewer employment options and
to earn lower wages.
Table 15 shows average personal income by age group for the three nativity groups along
with the ratio of Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican foreign‐born income to that of native U.S.
born workers. We see that Mexican‐born under the age of twenty four have average
incomes higher than those of native U.S. born in the same age groups. Relative wages for
Mexican‐born fall in each subsequent age group, however. The relative wages of non‐
Mexican foreign‐born fall as well but remain much closer to those of native U.S. born
workers across each subsequent age group.
‐ 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000
New England
Middle Atlantic
East North Central
West North Central
South Atlantic
East South Central
West South Central
Mountain
Pacilic
Nationally
Non‐Mexican Foreign Born Mexican Born U.S. Born Citizens
Households headed by
Mexican‐born earn less
across all regions than
do those headed by US
born citizens or other
foreign born. And other
foreign born households
earn more than native
US born households in a
number of regions.
These differences in
earnings result from
differing levels and
types of education and
different roles in the
workforce.
Figure 11: Average income for households headed by Mexican‐born,
non‐Mexican foreign born, and native U.S. born.
22
Table 15
Average Personal Income by Age Group
Mexican­Born
Non­Mexican
Foreign
Born
Age Group Income
% of Native
Born Income Income
% of Native
Born Income
Native Born
Income
15‐19 9,344 189% 6,282 127% 4,949
20‐24 15,761 103% 15,661 102% 15,311
25‐29 20,336 68% 30,471 102% 30,019
30‐34 22,997 58% 41,662 106% 39,436
35‐39 26,230 56% 47,733 103% 46,429
40‐44 27,121 55% 49,277 101% 48,875
45‐49 27,327 54% 49,488 98% 50,718
50‐54 26,068 51% 47,949 93% 51,352
55‐59 24,494 48% 47,536 94% 50,547
60‐64 21,321 48% 41,939 95% 44,056
65‐69 16,238 46% 32,561 92% 35,579
70‐74 13,839 46% 25,121 83% 30,400
75‐79 11,846 43% 21,213 78% 27,306
80+ 12,145 50% 19,950 81% 24,487
Figure 12 depicts this personal income data by age and nativity group graphically.
Figure 12
‐
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
MexicanFB Non‐MexicanFB NB Citizens
Figure 12: Average personal income for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican foreign born,
and native U.S. born citizens.
23
The fact that Mexican‐born wages are persistently lower than those of the other two nativity
groups raises questions about whether this result from differences in education, differences
in occupation or from other factors such as legal status.
Table 16 shows average personal incomes for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican foreign born and
native U.S. born citizens by level of education. We see that immigrants with lower levels of
education earn more than native‐born with comparable levels of education. Surprisingly,
non‐Mexican foreign‐born and native U.S. born with higher levels of education earn
significantly more than do Mexican‐born with comparable levels of education. These data
are depicted graphically in Figure 13.
Table 16
Average Personal Income by Education and Nativity
Mexican Born
Non Mexican
Foreign Born
Educational
Attainment Income
% of Native
Income Income
% of Native
Income
Native Born
Citizen
Income
0‐8 Years 18,925 122% 18,043 116% 15,521
Some High School 20,414 130% 21,283 135% 15,750
High School Grad 23,002 84% 26,539 97% 27,233
Some College/Assoc. 28,653 84% 33,343 98% 33,964
College Grad 36,476 62% 50,983 87% 58,405
Professional/Masters 53,052 64% 79,144 96% 82,622
Doctorate 59,288 62% 90,689 95% 95,882
Figure 13
‐
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
Mexican‐Born Non‐Mexican Foreign Born Native Citizens
Figure 13: Average personal income by education for Mexican‐born, non‐Mexican
foreign born, and native U.S. born citizens.
24
The reasons for these differences in income at higher education levels are not clear. One
explanation may be differences in the sectors that employ Mexican‐born and non‐Mexican
foreign‐born workers. We return to information on employment by occupation discussed
earlier in this report.
Table 13 on page 18 shows the share of each occupation’s workforce that is Mexican‐born,
the share that is non‐Mexican foreign born and the share that is native U.S. born. This table
reveals that, while there are some similarities in the workforce participation of Mexican‐born
and other immigrants, there are also important differences. Both groups are an
important share of the workforce in construction, production, and building and grounds
cleaning and maintenance occupations. However, non‐Mexican foreign‐born are also a
much bigger part of the workforce in higher‐paying sectors such as sales, financial
specialists, computer and mathematical operations, and life sciences. Thus these differences
in occupation are a likely explanation of these differences in income in within similar
educational attainment categories.
Concluding Observations
The strong historical, cultural, and social links between the southwestern and western
United States and Mexico suggests that a large Mexican‐born population will continue to live
in the United States. The age and educational profile of this population will continue to be
shaped by the cumulative effect of individual decisions to migrate to the United States.
These individual decisions, in turn, are shaped by the economic opportunities available to
Mexican‐born in the United States compared to those available in Mexico.
We have seen that Mexican‐born in the United States are a key source of workers in specific
segments of the workforce and for specific industries. They provide a large share of young,
low‐skilled workers for industries such as agriculture, construction, production, building
and grounds service and maintenance, and food preparation. The fact that Mexican‐born
are a twenty nine percent of workers with less than a high school education indicates that
they are helping to fill gaps in the labor‐force not being filled either by native U.S. born
workers or other immigrants.
U.S. immigration policy aside, the extent to which there is migration pressure from Mexico
to the United States will, as always, depend on the opportunities available to workers in
Mexico compared to those available in the United States. It is interesting to note that the
vast majority of Mexicans migrating to the United States have low levels of education. This
suggests that returns to education in Mexico are high and that Mexicans with high levels of
education have good employment opportunities in Mexico. Thus incentives for migration
from Mexico to the United States will decline either as job opportunities for low skilled
workers improve in Mexico or as educational attainment levels increase.
25
Appendix A
States in United States Census Regions
Northeast Midwest
New England East North Central
Maine Wisconsin
New Hampshire Michigan
Vermont Illinois
Massachusetts Indiana
Connecticut Ohio
Rhode Island West North Central
Mid Atlantic Minnesota
New York Iowa
New Jersey Missouri
Pennsylvania North Dakota
South Dakota
South Nebraska
South Atlantic Kansas
Delaware
Maryland West
District of Columbia Mountain
Virginia Montana
West Virginia Wyoming
North Carolina Colorado
South Carolina New Mexico
Georgia Idaho
Florida Utah
East South Central Nevada
Kentucky Arizona
Tennessee Pacific
Alabama Washington
Mississippi Oregon
West South Central California
Oklahoma Alaska
Louisiana Hawaii
Arkansas
Texas
26